Press
Releases
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
NEWS RELEASE- May 18, 2006
Contact:
BRIAN PERRY: 202-226-8294
PICKERING DISCUSSES ALS FUNDING
(LOU GEHRIG'S DISEASE)
Pickering
advocates increased funding during
ALS Awareness Month
( WASHINGTON, D.C. ) - Congressman
Chip Pickering visited with Steve
Kennedy and Kyle Robertson, both
of Jones County, Mississippi,
this week to discuss ALS funding. May is ALS Awareness Month. ALS
(amyotrophic lateral sclerosis)
- more commonly referred to as
Lou Gehrig's Disease - is a fatal,
neurodegenerative disease that
attacks nerve cells and pathways
in the brain and spinal cord. When
these cells die, voluntary muscle
control and movement ends and patients
in later stages are totally paralyzed,
often despite sharp and alert minds.
Steve Kennedy's father, Dr. Larry
Kennedy, is the current president
of William Carey College. Dr.
Kennedy was diagnosed with ALS
in July of 2005 and had planned
to announce his condition in September,
until Hurricane Katrina ravaged
the school, destroying the entire
Gulf Coast Campus and closing the
nursing school in New Orleans. After shepherding the school through
that natural disaster, Dr. Kennedy
again put-off his announcement
rescheduled for December of 2005
when the college was presented
with a generous contribution. Dr.
Kennedy delayed his personal concerns
again, so as not to detract from
the news of the gift. He finally
announced his condition in the
Spring of 2006. President George
W. Bush greeted Dr. Kennedy and
recognized his sacrifice on his
recent visit to the Mississippi
Gulf Coast.
"Dr. Kennedy is an example
of a man facing a deteriorating
disease with
class and dignity
and resolve. He reminds us that
anyone can be afflicted by this
condition which has no currently
known cause, cure or means of prevention. Only one drug currently is available
to even treat this disease and
it only prolongs life a few months. During ALS Awareness Month, I am
advocating greater research investments
into ALS," Pickering said.
Pickering noted that every day,
on average 15 people are newly
diagnosed with ALS - more than
5,400 people per year. The average
life expectancy of a person with ALS is two to five years from time
of diagnosis. "With recent
advances in research and improved
medical care, patients are able
to have longer, more productive
lives. But we have much left to
learn about this mysterious and
deadly disease," Pickering said.
Pickering advocates including
$5 million in the FY 2008 Federal
Budget to establish a national
ALS registry at the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention,
and to enact the ALS Registry Act. This will help identify occurrences
of ALS, collect data surrounding
it and examine standards of care. Pickering said, "Promoting
a better understanding of the disease
will enhance the nation's efforts
to find a treatment and cure. "With
studies indicating that ALS occurs
at a greater rate in military
veterans, Pickering encourages
the Department of Defense to investigate
the causes and take appropriate
remedial action to prevent the development
of this disease among our fighting
men and women.
On the web: www.alsa.org
Chip Pickering is serving his fifth
term as a Republican member of the
United States Congress, representing
the Third District of Mississippi .
He is assistant majority whip and is
Vice-Chairman of the Energy and
Commerce Committee.
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